Have You Been Impaired Driving, Drunk Driving, or Driving While Over 80? Know the Difference!

How one driver acts affect everyone who is on the same road as that driver at any given time. This is the reason why there are limits imposed by the Highway Traffic Act as to how much alcohol one driver can have in his or her body while driving a vehicle.

Drunk Driving or Impaired Driving?

When a driver’s driving function is affected or if the alcohol limit is breached, then the driver can be charged with drunk driving or impaired driving, terms that are often used interchangeably. In legal use, these terms have slight variations based on the exact details of the case.

Do you know that in Canada, impaired driving is the term used for driving while intoxicated with either alcohol or drugs? It is the equivalent of DUI in other places such as the US. An alcohol level of over 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood means a violation of impaired driving and can be also called an ‘Over 80’ violation.

Dealing with Consequences

All of the above just means that a person operated a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. There is really nothing much to do except to make sure that one gets immediate legal assistance as soon as possible to prevent more severe repercussions. Consequences can include getting one’s license suspended or revoked, dealing with increased insurance rates later, paying huge fines, or serving jail time. These can have long-term effects on one’s life such as impairing the ability to get loans, buying a home, securing a job, and traveling. It isn’t uncommon in Ontario to have a license suspended for a full year for a first offence and to have it revoked for up to 5 years for a second and third offence, you’ll definitely need an Ontario DUI lawyer!

Your best course of action for any of the charges mentioned here is to contact a DUI lawyer in Canada as soon as you can. The longer you wait, the more you may forget details that can alter the outcome of your charge in your favour. With Ontario DUI lawyer Calvin Barry, you can be sure of an impaired driving defence that truly advocates for you!